Economics Derivatives Study Cards

Enhance Your Learning with Economics - Derivatives Flash Cards for quick understanding



Derivative

A financial contract whose value is derived from an underlying asset or group of assets.

Options

Financial derivatives that give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a predetermined price within a specified time period.

Futures

Standardized contracts to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a future date.

Forwards

Customized contracts to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a future date.

Swaps

Agreements between two parties to exchange cash flows or liabilities based on different financial instruments.

Hedging

A risk management strategy used to offset potential losses by taking an opposite position in a related security or derivative.

Speculation

The practice of taking on risk in the hope of making a profit from future price movements in financial markets.

Arbitrage

The simultaneous purchase and sale of an asset in different markets to take advantage of price discrepancies and make risk-free profits.

Black-Scholes Model

A mathematical model used to calculate the theoretical price of options and other derivatives.

Risk Management

The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks, and implementing strategies to minimize or mitigate potential losses.

Market Volatility

The degree of variation in the price of a financial instrument over time, often measured by standard deviation.

Derivatives Trading

The buying and selling of financial derivatives in order to profit from price movements or to hedge against risks.

Derivatives Pricing

The process of determining the fair value of a derivative based on various factors such as underlying asset price, time to expiration, and market volatility.

Derivatives Market Regulation

Government oversight and rules governing the trading and operation of derivatives markets to ensure fair and transparent transactions.

Financial Instruments

Contracts or obligations that represent a financial asset, such as stocks, bonds, options, futures, and swaps.

Call Option

An option contract that gives the holder the right to buy an underlying asset at a specified price within a specified time period.

Put Option

An option contract that gives the holder the right to sell an underlying asset at a specified price within a specified time period.

Long Position

A position in which an investor owns a security or derivative with the expectation that its price will rise.

Short Position

A position in which an investor sells a security or derivative that they do not own, with the expectation that its price will decline.

Leverage

The use of borrowed funds or debt to amplify potential returns or losses from an investment.

Margin

The amount of money or collateral required by a broker to cover potential losses on a trade.

Volatility Index (VIX)

A measure of market expectations for near-term volatility conveyed by S&P 500 stock index option prices.

Delta

A measure of the sensitivity of the price of an option to changes in the price of the underlying asset.

Gamma

A measure of the rate of change in the delta of an option in response to changes in the price of the underlying asset.

Vega

A measure of the sensitivity of the price of an option to changes in market volatility.

Theta

A measure of the rate of decline in the value of an option over time, as time to expiration decreases.

Rho

A measure of the sensitivity of the price of an option to changes in interest rates.

Intrinsic Value

The value of an option if it were exercised immediately, calculated as the difference between the current price of the underlying asset and the strike price.

Time Value

The portion of an option's premium that is attributable to the amount of time remaining until expiration.

Contango

A situation in which the futures price of a commodity is higher than the expected spot price at the time of delivery.

Backwardation

A situation in which the futures price of a commodity is lower than the expected spot price at the time of delivery.

Long Call

A bullish options strategy in which an investor buys call options with the expectation that the price of the underlying asset will rise.

Short Call

A bearish options strategy in which an investor sells call options with the expectation that the price of the underlying asset will decline or remain below the strike price.

Long Put

A bearish options strategy in which an investor buys put options with the expectation that the price of the underlying asset will decline.

Short Put

A bullish options strategy in which an investor sells put options with the expectation that the price of the underlying asset will rise or remain above the strike price.

Bull Spread

A bullish options strategy in which an investor simultaneously buys and sells call options with different strike prices, but the same expiration date.

Bear Spread

A bearish options strategy in which an investor simultaneously buys and sells call options with different strike prices, but the same expiration date.

Straddle

A neutral options strategy in which an investor simultaneously buys a call option and a put option with the same strike price and expiration date.

Strangle

A neutral options strategy in which an investor simultaneously buys a call option with a higher strike price and a put option with a lower strike price, both with the same expiration date.

Covered Call

A conservative options strategy in which an investor holds a long position in an asset and sells call options on that same asset to generate income.

Protective Put

A conservative options strategy in which an investor holds a long position in an asset and buys put options on that same asset to protect against potential losses.

Collar

A conservative options strategy in which an investor holds a long position in an asset, buys put options to protect against downside risk, and sells call options to generate income.

Iron Condor

A neutral options strategy in which an investor simultaneously sells a call spread and a put spread with the same expiration date, but different strike prices.

Butterfly Spread

A neutral options strategy in which an investor simultaneously buys a call spread and a put spread with the same expiration date, but different strike prices.

Box Spread

An options arbitrage strategy in which an investor simultaneously buys a bull spread and sells a bear spread with the same expiration date and strike prices.

Commodity Futures

Futures contracts for commodities such as oil, gold, wheat, or natural gas, allowing investors to speculate on or hedge against price movements in these markets.

Interest Rate Futures

Futures contracts based on interest rates, allowing investors to speculate on or hedge against changes in interest rates.

Currency Futures

Futures contracts based on exchange rates between different currencies, allowing investors to speculate on or hedge against currency fluctuations.

Index Futures

Futures contracts based on stock market indices, allowing investors to speculate on or hedge against movements in the overall stock market.

Credit Default Swap (CDS)

A type of swap contract in which the buyer makes periodic payments to the seller in exchange for protection against the default of a particular debt instrument.

Interest Rate Swap

A type of swap contract in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate payments based on a notional principal amount.

Currency Swap

A type of swap contract in which two parties agree to exchange principal and interest payments denominated in different currencies.

Equity Swap

A type of swap contract in which two parties agree to exchange cash flows based on the performance of an underlying equity instrument or index.

Volatility Swap

A type of swap contract in which two parties agree to exchange cash flows based on the realized volatility of an underlying asset or index.

Convertible Bond

A type of bond that can be converted into a specified number of shares of the issuer's common stock at a predetermined conversion price.

Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO)

A type of structured asset-backed security that pools together various debt instruments and divides them into different tranches with varying levels of risk and return.

Mortgage-Backed Security (MBS)

A type of asset-backed security that represents a claim on the cash flows from a pool of mortgage loans, which are typically secured by real estate properties.

Credit Rating

An assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower or issuer of debt, indicating the likelihood of default or the risk of investment loss.

Liquidity

The ease with which an asset or security can be bought or sold in the market without causing significant price movements.

Counterparty Risk

The risk that the other party in a financial transaction will default or fail to fulfill their obligations.

Systemic Risk

The risk of widespread financial instability or collapse of the entire financial system, often caused by interconnectedness and interdependencies among financial institutions.

Market Risk

The risk of losses in financial markets due to factors such as changes in interest rates, exchange rates, or market volatility.

Credit Risk

The risk of losses from the failure of a borrower or issuer of debt to repay their obligations in full and on time.

Operational Risk

The risk of losses resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people, or systems, or from external events.

Legal Risk

The risk of losses resulting from legal or regulatory actions, such as lawsuits, fines, or changes in laws or regulations.

Model Risk

The risk of losses resulting from errors or limitations in financial models used for pricing, valuation, or risk management purposes.

Stress Testing

A risk management technique used to assess the potential impact of adverse events or scenarios on the financial condition of an institution or portfolio.

Value at Risk (VaR)

A statistical measure used to estimate the maximum potential loss of an investment or portfolio over a given time period, at a certain level of confidence.